In recent years, like most of us, I’ve flown on a few airlines, notably US & UK carriers, and there seems to be a race under way – too the bottom. When it comes to customer care, particularly when we get to the ‘Economy’ cabin or ‘Cattle Class’ as it should be known. The race was on even before 9-11, but that was when carriers shifted up a gear and the pace quickened.
The ‘Trolley Dolly’ of old became authoritarian ‘Cabin Crew’ and with a tanking world economy carriers discovered that price trumped service and both business & leisure travelers were price sensitive as expense accounts and budgets were squeezed.
About that time Boeing planners, having misread the industry’s future had started delivering smaller (more economical?) airplanes for more frequent schedules on hub & spoke networks. As the economy started to recover capacity became more of an issue. Demand outstripped capacity, old airplanes stayed flying longer and further while Boeing desperately tried to squeeze more seats, or rather more bums on seats into the new smaller airplanes while fitting new engines on old stretched air-frames to satisfy rapidly growing demand. The quick fix was to narrow seats and shorten seat pitch, especially in the rear of airplanes. These ‘technical fixes’ were accompanied by budget squeezes across the industry and food service was an obvious target, which brings me to my point
COVID-19 to give it’s full official title. Rather than schedule my US trip 8 or so weeks ahead to try and squeeze more bang for my buck I decided to try booking an economy fare at short notice, hopefully to get out and back before travel restrictions are imposed. Normally, when traveling alone direct flights to and from nearest major airports, though sometimes higher priced, are the most economical in total. Longer journeys to and from airports plus additional costs and accommodation frequently outweigh any fare savings.
This occasion however proved the exception. Ten days out I was able to book a reasonable fare, rather than my preferred route LHR-DFW I booked with Singapore Airlines on their MAN-IAH route. Including round-trip rail-fare, accommodation, one-way car rental each direction (but excluding fuel and the 270 mile drive each way) I’m saving about £500.00, hopefully worth the extra effort!
I have to admit that my daughter and her family had flown Singapore Airlines on the same route at least twice before and had recommended it to me but having flown American, BA and less recently United and a short-haul on Ryanair my expectations were not high. Most recently on their LHR-AUS route BA had managed, in my opinion, to set the bar to an all-time new low. The change from old 747s to 777s left the aircraft late and so full you felt there were probably standees hiding in the restrooms during take-off & landing. The first time in ages I’ve ridden in an isle seat with a fixed arm, very uncomfortable sitting and getting in and out of the seat.
The rail trip the day before my flight, from home to Manchester Airport was not an auspicious start. By my own fault I booked an afternoon/evening trip, managed to be in both Bath & Bristol during the afternoon rush, on a two car train, all seats full and jam packed throughout with standing passengers. At that point my good intentions of avoiding ‘close personal contact’ went out of the (closed) window. I was scheduled to change trains, from Great Western to CrossCountry Rail at Bristol Parkway Station, a place where various routes cross and where a new station was built to facilitate the high density of transiting passengers. Turns out they built a new station building adjacent to the railway but servicing the old platforms. I spent twenty very long minutes stood on the exposed platform in a bitterly cold wind trying to avoid the rain being driven under what passed for the platform cover, definitely a steam era artifact. and barely 20th century much less 21st.
The CrossCountry Rail train was moderately busy. This was not a commuter but the seat pitch was very short and the storage space for passenger bags was abysmal. I try to travel with one wheeled case and a wheeled carry-on, anything else must fit in my pockets but the CrossCountry train had me beat. There were tiny racks, good for a total of maybe three cases at each end of the coach with seating for around 70 passengers, the overhead rack didn’t even come close to accommodating my relatively small carry-on, in fact the seat pitch was so tight my carry-on wouldn’t even fit on the floor and had to be placed on the seat beside me. Somehow we managed to loose time all the way to Manchester, arriving there about 15 minutes late, just outside my ‘connection’ window to the Airport. I can honestly say I’ve never seen so many cancellation & late running trains on a departures board. Suffice to say I managed to miss my train, late from platform 9A, trying to decipher the departure board on 9B. I’m pretty sure the station employees had given up and gone home by that point so another 45 minutes standing on a railway platform!
As I’m writing this we’re about an hour out from Houston AND WE’VE JUST BEEN SERVED A SECOND MEAL!
I’m going to try to be fair but by my experience this is exceptional. The first meal, called lunch was by airline standards, very good. For us older persons, reminiscent of the way things used to be. Back in the old days when flying was a fun adventure. For lunch I opted for beef with spinach and parsley mash. It was very good, for airline food the portion size was good, it was accompanied by a coleslaw salad, a cheesecake dessert, cheese & crackers and while not Silver Service at least we had silverware not plastic. Midway thru the flight we were offered a snack of chilled fruit and a sandwich, then finally Dinner was served, yet another hot meal.
Feeling a little more adventurous I opted for a green fish curry with rice and vegetables, pasta salad and dessert – tasty!
So, if we make it into Houston okay I shall be looking forward to my return flight with Singapore Airlines and I can say, Categorically, it’s. been a goodly number of years since I’ve even thought that.
One final ‘cultural’ comment & a portent of thing to come. The cabin crew were all dressed in their company uniform, very Asian, and all wearing face masks making it hard to identify individuals. The male cabin crew acted more like supervisors than attendants.
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